Family
by Ranguvar27
Summary: A series of peeks at my little family of three-Stayne, Alannah and Katarina. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1 Family of Three

Family

Alannah sang quietly as she walked through the main garden at Marmoreal, Katarina in her arms. After her birth, Mirana had offered Stayne and Alannah a permanent residency in Marmoreal. Alannah had accepted, but only if she would still be allowed to practice her healing arts. Mirana had been thrilled to learn that Alannah had training in the same Arts as she, and had gladly agreed to the terms.

Since Alannah was reluctant to live at Court, Mirana had a small cottage built for her and Stayne in the large main garden. It had taken three weeks to build, and was the perfect size for a small family. Alannah had fallen in love with it the moment she set eyes upon it…

_Stayne smiled as he gently steered Alannah through the garden, a black handkerchief around her eyes. She giggled. "Do I have to be blindfolded, Ilosivic?" _

_Stayne laughed. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I wanted this to be a complete surprise, love. So hush, we're almost there." _

"_Where's Katarina?" Alannah asked a slightly nervous edge to her voice. _

_Stayne smiled. "She's fine. Alice is watching her, so don't worry. Now, hold still so I can take the blindfold off."_

_Alannah smirked, and then stood so Stayne could remove the blindfold. She blinked against the light, and then gave a shriek of delight at what she beheld. _

_The cottage she was looking at was small in comparison to her old cottage, yet it gleamed and glistened with a newness and beauty that the old one had lacked. There were flowers growing against the walls, the riot of colors present making her gasp in amazement, and where the wall showed she could see it was a deep blue in color. Two windows in front gleamed in the sunlight. Alannah ran forward and into the cottage. She squealed in delight at what she saw. The room she was in was cozy, with a large couch that took up most of the far wall. She could look down the hall and see the door leading to the bedroom and to the right was a kitchen that opened up to the back of the garden. _

_Alannah came out of the cottage, grinning. "Ilosivic, this is so perfect. I love it." _

_She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. "I noticed that the bedroom has a rather good sized bed. I think we should see how comfortable it is." _

_Stayne grinned. "A very good idea, My Lady." _

_Alannah giggled, and then led him into the cottage._

Katarina gurgled, reaching for her mother. She was just two weeks shy of her first month, and already it was clear that she had inherited her father's height as well as his deep black hair. Alannah marveled at how quickly her hair had grown. It wasn't straight like Stayne's, but instead grew in silken black ringlets that framed her face like a halo. Her deep green eyes were never still, taking in everything. Katarina had a streak of curiosity and mischief that rivaled Chessur at times. Alannah was kept constantly on her toes, but secretly she loved the fact that her child was so inquisitive. She was careful to assure that Katarina never got hurt, and in that way she was able to satisfy her curiosity.

Alannah smiled at her, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "You like my singing, my baby? I'm very glad. You know, that's the reason your father fell for me. I charmed him with my voice. Just ask him."

"That's very true. It was only after that I realized that the rest of her was quite beautiful as well", came the reply. Stayne walked towards them. He had just finished the daily inspection of his troops, and was still dressed in his Captain's uniform. Alannah felt her heart fluttering at the sight. "You look quite handsome, My Lord."

He gently kissed her. "Why, thank you My Lady. And how are my green eyed beauties doing?"

He grinned at Katarina, who gurgled happily, reaching out for him. Stayne gently took her, holding her close. Alannah laughed quietly. "She has had you wrapped around her finger from the moment she was born. I suppose I'll just have to accept the fact I'm no longer number one."

Stayne laughed, and then looked at his daughter. "I had hoped your Momma hadn't figured it out yet. But I suppose now is a good a time as any." He looked at Alannah, a serious expression on his face. "My Lady, I feel it is my duty to inform you that my heart has been won by another. I am now the lord of the young Katarina Stayne."

Alannah mock frowned at them. "Well, if that's how you feel…" she suddenly giggled as Stayne pulled her into a deep kiss. "Of course, I could have room for you as well, my love."

"How charitable of you, My Captain."

Katarina laughed as she watched her parents kiss. She was much too young to fully understand what was happening, but she knew that her momma and daddy loved her-as well as each other- very much. She reached out and touched her momma's cheek. Alannah turned and looked at her, smiling. "Yes, my baby?"

Katarina touched her mouth, and tried to hum. She loved hearing her momma sing. Her voice was so pretty. Alannah laughed, knowing exactly what Katarina wanted. She looked at Stayne, who had a curious expression on his face. "She wants me to sing."

Stayne nodded in understanding. "She has good taste. I would love to hear you sing as well."

Alannah smiled. "Well, I can't refuse my two biggest fans, can I? Let's go sit, and then I shall give a command performance just for the two of you."

They walked to a tree in the garden, and Stayne sat down, Katarina in his lap. Alannah sat next to him, and he wrapped his arm around her. "Your audience awaits, My Lady."

Alannah sighed. "Very well, I suppose I may as well begin."

She began singing, and Stayne let her voice wash over him, marveling as always at how beautiful it was. He looked down at the child in his lap, and sighed happily. If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be sitting here with two beauties in his arms, he would have laughed. He had still been in the clutches of the bloody big head, and Alannah was still no more than a pleasant dream.

'Time is a funny thing. In one year, I went from a disgraced exile with no one to a Captain with a wonderful wife and beautiful child.'

He gulped quietly as he remembered what his childhood had been like. His father had barely acknowledged his existence, and his mother had been more interested in the latest Court gossip than in her son. He could count on one hand the number of times his parents had actually looked at him for more than three minutes. He had been raised by endless succession of nurses; their faces all blended together until they were indistinguishable.

Was it any wonder, then, that he had been so thrilled at first when the Red Queen showed interest in him? He was still a young soldier, and had only recently arrived at Salazen Grum….

_Iracebeth had recently returned from a ride through Underland, and now all she wanted were to get into the palace. She hated going on these stupid trips. Who cared about the peasants? Let her simpering sister show sympathy to them. She was more interested in exerting her authority. After all, she was going to be their Ruler, not their mother. _

_She dismounted from the carriage, glaring at the coachman. "You drove much too quickly. I'm going to tell my mother." _

_The coachman balked. "But, Majesty…"_

"_DON'T YOU DARE CONTRADICT ME!" Iracebeth shrieked, enraged. _

_The coachman, deciding discretion was the better part of valor, clamped his mouth shut, and merely bowed. Iracebeth swept past him without a second glance. _

_She walked quickly towards the palace, not even bothering to look around her, and as a consequence collided with someone coming around the corner. She staggered. "How dare you run into your future Queen you…" _

_Her voice trailed off as she saw who she had collided with. Ilosivic Stayne, the newly appointed guard. Iracebeth had noticed him right away, and had been fascinated by how tall he was. Now she giggled breathlessly. "Hello, Ilosivic."_

_Stayne smiled gently at her. "Are you quite alright, Majesty? You should really pay more attention to your surroundings." _

_Iracebeth giggled again. "Yes, I should. Thank you so much for your help."_

_She walked off, and Stayne shook his head, laughing. "Quite the flighty royal. Oh well, I'm sure she's harmless enough."_

Stayne laughed ruthlessly at how naïve he had been. It had not taken him long to realize that Iracebeth was a spoiled brat, and he soon began to abhor her. It did not help matters that she was completely oblivious to his distaste. Then his Trial had happened, and he had been forced to become the lackey of the bloody big head.

'But now, I am a free man, thanks to this beauty', he thought, smiling gently at Alannah, who had finished singing and was now playing peek-a-boo with Katarina, who shrieked with laughter at her momma. Stayne laughed, watching them.

Alannah looked at him. "What's on your mind, love?"

He smiled, pulling her close. "Family. I never really had the chance growing up to be part of one, and after falling into the clutches of the bloody big head I thought I would never be able to have one. I never thought that in only a year, I would have everything I ever dreamt of."

She smiled, and kissed him. "Me too, my love. You are an amazing father and husband."

She settled against him, sighing happily. "I never had a family either. But now-I have one, and I will do all in my power to hold on to it."

Stayne didn't reply, but he nodded. He would do the same.


	2. Chapter 2 A Reunion

Family Chapter Two a Reunion

_**Author's Note-Ask and ye shall receive-I'm continuing this story. This chapter will be a bit darker than the first. **_

Alannah stood in the throne room, a look of sheer disbelief on her face. She looked at Mirana, and tried to speak, but the words choked themselves. She glanced down at the piece of paper in her hands, hardly believing the words that she had read only minutes before-

_My dearest daughter-_

_It has been many years since I last saw you, and I am truly sorry that we parted on such bad terms. I understand now that I may have been hasty in my reluctance to believe you, and I truly hope that you and Lord Maxwell have worked out any differences_-Alannah had nearly choked with rage upon reading that sentence_-and that you are proving yourself to be a model wife and mother. If at all possible, I would like for you and your husband to attend a small party I will be throwing on the 24__th__. There will not be too many people there, so do not feel as though you have to be fancy. I just want to be able to see my daughter again. _

_Love, _

_Lady Jessicah Sullivan_.

Mirana spoke quietly. "A messenger delivered that this morning. I wanted to tell you, but you seemed to be a bit preoccupied."

Alannah nodded, still in shock. "Yes. Katarina is starting to crawl, so she is getting into even more mischief. If that's possible. But Ilosivic is with her, so she's perfectly safe."

She laughed suddenly, and spoke in a high voice. "Worked out our differences! Oh, yes. His Lordship and I definitely did that." Alannah suddenly drew in her breath sharply. She looked at Mirana, helpless.

"What do I do? Do I decline the invitation and run the risk of never seeing my mother again, or do I go and put an end to my mother's delusions about Lord Maxwell?"

Mirana glided over to her, and gently touched her shoulder. "That is a decision that only you can make, Alannah."

Alannah gulped, and then nodded. "I should probably ask my husband if he would like to come along."

She curtseyed, and then walked out of the throne room, searching for Stayne. She found him in the stalls, brushing down Grey Star. Katarina sat on a nearby bench, watching him. Alannah walked over to her, and she immediately stretched out her arms. Alannah smiled, and picked her up.

"You are getting so big, my baby. Has Daddy been keeping his eye on you?" She looked sideways at Stayne, who nodded.

"Of course I have. Our daughter is perfectly safe with me, love."

"I know."

Stayne stopped brushing and looked at Alannah. "What's the matter? You look as though someone just died."

Alannah sighed, and then handed him the letter. He read it, his eye widening in anger and disbelief.

"Unbelievable. I never realized just how delusional your mother actually was, but this-_worked out your differences_-is just staggering."

Alannah nodded sadly. "I know. But the worst of it is- I want to see her, if only so I can finally put an end to her delusion. I need her to see that I am married to a good man, with a wonderful daughter. Will you come with me?"

Stayne smiled gently and pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently on the forehead. "My Lady, I will go wherever you wish."

"Thank you, My Lord. We have three weeks, so there will be plenty of time for us to change our minds."

Alannah gulped quietly as she felt the carriage come to a stop. She looked at Stayne, and he reached over and gently squeezed her hand. "You're going to be fine, love. I'm here for you." He smiled at Katarina, who was wide eyed with amazement following her first carriage ride. "Now remember, your momma is going to need your help too."

Katarina babbled at him, and Alannah laughed. "I quite agree, darling."

Stayne grinned. "And I thought that Outlandish was the only strange language around here."

Alannah smirked. "Not anymore."

The carriage door opened, and the coachman bowed deeply. "Welcome to Sullivan Hall, Milady, Milord."

Alannah gathered her courage, and then stepped out of the carriage, Katarina in her arms. Stayne followed after, and gently looped his arm around her waist. "Come on, Milady. The party waits."

Alannah gulped. "Yes, it does." She took a deep breath, and then they walked into the Hall.

Alannah felt memories flooding back as she stood in her childhood home. She glanced around, reacquainting herself with every little detail. Suddenly, she noticed someone walking towards her. She quickly recognized the person, and plastered a false smile on her face. "Lady Germaine. How wonderful to see you again. It has been much too long."

Lady Germaine stared in shock and disbelief at Stayne, who merely rolled his eye and tightened his grip on Alannah.

"Alannah, what do you think you are playing at?" she whispered in a harsh voice. "Are you trying to cause a scandal? Why in the name of Time would you bring-that-and not your husband? And whose child is that, may I ask?"

Alannah glared at Lady Germaine. "I did bring my husband, and that child is my daughter, Katarina." She paused, and then grinned wickedly. "Katarina Stayne."

Lady Germaine gawped at her, and Alannah swept past her, remarking over her shoulder. "I am going to go see my mother now. So nice to have seen you again." She paused, and placed Katarina in Stayne's arms.

Stayne turned, and bowed mockingly to Lady Germaine. "It was quite a pleasure for me too, My Lady."

Alannah trembled nervously as she approached her mother. Jessicah Sullivan had not changed much physically-a few gray hairs, and the odd wrinkle here and there-but Alannah could see that she had finally managed to break out of the shell of her madness. Her sharp eyes seemed to miss nothing, and she had a cold stare to her face that Alannah had only rarely seen in the past. Now, however, it seemed to be the dominating trait.

Lady Sullivan watched as her daughter approached her, and wondered why in Underland she was being escorted by such a creature. Surely, she could not have misread the invitation. She contented herself with the thought that perhaps the man-and she was reluctant to use that term-with her was merely keeping her company. 'Perhaps Lord Maxwell could not make it, and he sent a servant to escort his wife.'

Alannah gulped, and then spoke. "Hello, Mother. How have you been?"

Lady Sullivan spoke in a cold voice. "I am fine, Alannah. But why did you not bring your husband? I was looking forward to seeing Lord Maxwell again."

Alannah clenched her fists. "I did bring my husband, Mother. I also brought my daughter as well."

Lady Sullivan stared in shock and horror at Stayne. "Alannah, are you…is that _creature _your husband?!"

Alannah glared at her, and her eyes flashed red. "Yes, mother. I should probably tell you, my name is no longer Alannah Sullivan, but Alannah Stayne. I am the wife of Captain Ilosivic Stayne of the White Army. That creature, as you call him, is the most wonderful _**man **_I have ever known. He is more of a lord than all these lords put together, and I love him more deeply than you could ever imagine. We have a wonderful life, and a beautiful daughter."

Lady Sullivan shook her head. "You threw away the chance to be with someone like Lord Maxwell for something like...that?"

Alannah growled. "Lord Maxwell was a sadistic, evil, horrible, slurking urpal slackush scrum! Would you like to know what he did to me, Mother? Shall I tell you how he drugged me, kidnapped me, and held me a prisoner in a freezing cold cellar for days? Shall I tell you again how he raped me that day so many years ago? Shall I tell you of the fact that I would have died in that cellar had Ilosivic not found me? Would you like to hear of the nightmares I had for weeks after, nightmares in which I freeze to death before I'm found? Nightmares in which I manage to escape my chains only to realize I'm still trapped? Nightmares in which Lord Maxwell kills my lover in front of me after a failed rescue? Would you care to hear about those, Mother?"

Stayne continued his voice harsh. "Or, perhaps, Lady Sullivan you would like for me to tell you what I did to Lord Maxwell for daring to harm my wife. Of course, not even my wife knows the full details, so in her interest, I shall spare you."

Alannah sighed, and looked at her mother. "I know you may not be able to accept it, but I am Ilosivic Stayne's wife. I know it is not what you expected, but I still hope that we can attend the party. So please, Mother-what do you say? Will you give us a chance?"

Lady Sullivan gulped, and then whispered quietly. "Get out." She glared in anger at Alannah. "You dare to come here and flaunt this vile creature, claiming that he is your husband, and then you have the temerity to tell me that you have also given birth to his spawn! I'm surprised the child doesn't have three eyes! Then you make up a vile and outrageous lie about Lord Maxwell, impugning his honor! You have not changed a bit, and I no longer consider you my daughter. I was a fool for thinking you had changed. Now, leave my house and never attempt to contact me again. You are dead to me."

Alannah's eyes filled with tears, and she ran out of the room. Stayne glared in anger and hatred at Lady Sullivan. "My Lady, I am truly sorry for you. You are so blinded by your delusion of what you expect your daughter to be that you are unable to see what she is. Alannah is the most amazing woman I have ever known, and the fact that her own mother is unable to recognize that is truly sad. But we shall respect your decision. Goodbye, Lady Sullivan."

He turned and walked out of the Hall, Katarina in his arms. Alannah was sitting in the carriage, tears pouring down her face. Stayne climbed in, motioned for the coachman to drive off, and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

Katarina made a sad noise and touched her momma's back. She had been on the verge of crying when the mean old lady yelled at her momma. Now, she wanted to comfort her momma. She knew how-her momma called it 'giving cuddles'.

Alannah turned so she was looking at Katarina. "You want to give me cuddles, my baby?" Katarina stretched out her arms, and Alannah pulled her close, pressing her cheek to Katarina's. Stayne pulled them both into his arms, gently kissing Alannah.

"I am so sorry, my love.' he whispered. Alannah sighed.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I should have realized long ago that my mother would never change. But it still hurts to have that realization bought into such sharp reproof. Still, at least now I'll never have to wonder how my mother thinks of me."

Stayne laughed quietly. "That's true."

Alannah sighed, and leaned further against him. Her eyes started to droop, and she slowly fell asleep, her arms around her husband and daughter.

The only family she would ever need.


	3. Chapter 3 By Any Other Name

Family Chapter 3

By any Other Name

_**Author's Note-I thought I'd do something a bit lighter following the last chapter. Hope you like. **_

"Can you say Dada, sweetie? Say Dada." Alannah glanced in amusement at Stayne, who had been trying his hardest for the past three hours to get Katarina to speak. She had just turned three months old, and already was able to babble quite nicely. Currently, her favorite phrase was "gogkadefogre', which Alannah had roughly translated to mean "Momma I want to pet the kitty."

Katarina was fascinated with Chessur, and would gurgle happily and crawl after him whenever she saw him. Fortunately, Chessur found the attention quite flattering, and he had pointed out to Alannah that if he felt threatened at all, he could always vanish.

Alannah walked over to Katarina and hoisted her up. "Is Daddy still trying to make you talk? I wonder how he'll feel when you do start to speak. He'll probably regret ever trying to get you to talk."

Stayne grinned at them. "I doubt that, love. Besides, I think she was on the verge of saying it when you walked in. At least, she said something that sounded rather close."

Alannah laughed. "She does have a rather impressive babble vocabulary for her age." She smiled at Katarina. "Don't you, my baby?"

"Dokidithheyft".

Alannah giggled. "Yeah, I quite agree. Daddy is silly."

Stayne gaped at her, a mock hurt expression on his face. "I'm silly, am I?"

Alannah smirked at him. "That's what she said, and I quite agree. You are very silly."

He advanced on her, a mischievous gleam in his eye. Alannah giggled, and then shrieked with laughter as he began to tickle her. She squirmed, trying to evade him. Katarina laughed. Her momma was being so silly. She clapped her hands, giggling.

Alannah tightened her grip on Katarina. "You're a great deal of help. Your daddy attacks me, and all you do is giggle. Well, I know where your loyalty lies."

Stayne grinned at his daughter. "Good girl." He mock glared at Alannah. "And as for you-I think I've guaranteed you won't ever call me silly again. Right?"

Alannah nodded, looking at him with a dead serious expression. "Oh, definitely. I have learned my lesson quite well. I will never call you silly again. You are far goofier."

Stayne glared at her, and she laughed. "You know, you're lucky I love you so much, My Lady. Otherwise, I should be forced to take measures."

Alannah smirked, and then kissed him. "I guess I have been warned. Oh well."

He grinned. "Yes, you have. Although-I must say-I rather enjoy this." He said between kisses. Alannah merely smiled and deepened the kiss.

Katarina smiled. Her momma had been very sad not too long ago, and she was glad to see her happy. Although neither her momma nor daddy realized, Katarina had a rather excellent memory for a child her age. She remembered the night they had come home from the party, when that mean old lady had been so nasty to her momma…

_Katarina watched as her momma slowly walked into the cottage. They had arrived home only moments ago, and her momma was still half asleep. Her daddy had gently shaken her awake, and now he gently steered her inside, holding Katarina in his other arm. He led her into the bedroom, and Alannah collapsed onto the bed, crying quietly. Katarina whimpered, reaching for her momma. Stayne sat next to her, and gently touched her back. "Alannah, darling-I think someone wants to give more cuddles." _

_Alannah turned and sat up, reaching for Katarina. "I'm so sorry, my baby. I guess I should have realized that Lady Sullivan would never change. She never was satisfied with me when I was under her roof, and now that I've become the complete opposite of what she is…" she broke off, sobbing quietly. _

_Stayne gently touched her cheek, looking into her eyes. "Alannah, you are an amazing, wonderful, unique, and extremely intriguing woman. I fall more in love with you every day, and it would take several lifetimes before I started to take you for granted. The fact that your own mother is unable to see who you truly are is tragic for her-because she will never appreciate what a magical daughter she has." _

_Alannah's eyes filled with tears and she kissed him. "I love you, My Lord." _

_Katarina smiled, and then kissed her momma on the cheek. Alannah laughed quietly. "I love you as well, my baby. However, it is quite late. So I shall say goodnight to you." _

_Stayne carried her over to the crib that sat in the corner of the room, gently placing her in. "Goodnight, little one. Pleasant dreams."_

_He smiled, and then turned and climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around Alannah and kissing her. She sighed with happiness, and pressed against him. _

_Stayne smiled, and gently stroked her arms. "Get some sleep, my love."_

Katarina laughed as her momma finished kissing her daddy. Her daddy had a funny expression on his face. He was smiling rather widely, and gazing very deeply at her momma. Katarina clapped, and they looked at her.

Alannah laughed. "You like seeing your daddy kiss me?"

Katarina grinned. "Dada!"

Alannah gaped at her in amazement. "What did you say?"

Katarina laughed. "Dada!"

Stayne laughed, and then looked at Katarina. "That's right, little one. Dada. That's me. Do you know who this is?"

Katarina giggled. "Momma!"

Alannah and Stayne laughed, and then kissed Katarina. Alannah grinned at her. "That's right, my baby. I'm Momma."

"Dada! Momma!" Katarina repeated, and then began to babble. Her parents laughed.

Stayne grinned happily as he listened to his daughter. He spoke in a quiet voice to Alannah.

"Names are such a strange thing. For most of my life, I was merely called 'boy' or 'Master Stayne'. When I arrived at Salazen Grum, everyone called me Stayne. After the JubJub bird attacked me, I was called 'monster, freak, one eye', and every other cruel name. After my appointment to the Captaincy of the Card Guards, I got called 'sir', 'Captain', and 'Captain Stayne.' But I think the name I hated most was Knave, probably since that was Iracebeth's pet name for me. Then I met you. You actually called me by my name, and I never thought I would be happier. But I was wrong. Being called Dada is the most wonderful name of all."

Alannah nodded. "Well, you had better get used to it, Dada."

Stayne grinned. "Believe me, I intend to."


	4. Chapter 4 Reflections

Family Chapter Four

Reflections

Stayne grinned as he watched Alannah. She was standing in the pond, Katarina in her arms. The young child gazed in amazement at her reflection, wondering why there was another little girl that looked like her in the water. She reached down, and drew back with a gasp as her fingers touched the water. She looked at her momma, perplexed.

"Baby?" she asked, pointing at the water. Alannah grinned. "Yes, baby. You baby. Pretty baby."

Katarina smiled toothlessly, and then looked at the water again, noticing another person. The baby was being held by- "Momma?" she pointed to Alannah's reflection, and Alannah laughed. "Yes, that's me." She walked deeper into the water, slowly letting Katarina feel it.

Katarina shrieked in surprise, and then laughed, splashing the water about. Alannah grinned at her, and then turned to Stayne. "Ilosivic, I think we may have a water baby. She seems to be enjoying herself."

Stayne laughed, then shed his shirt and entered the pond, coming to a stop beside them. He looked at Katarina. "You are a very brave little girl. You know"-he looked around, as if checking to see if anyone was nearby-then bent and whispered-"I used to be afraid of the water. Your momma taught me to swim."

Katarina laughed and pointed at the water, which had stopped rippling. "Baby!"

Stayne looked down at the water, amazed. "Well, so it is. A very beautiful baby. But I also see some other people there."

Katarina grinned, pointing at his reflection. "Dada!"

Stayne stared at himself, and smiled. He had never believed that he would enjoy seeing his reflection ever again. He still remembered the first time he had looked at himself after the horrific attack by the JubJub bird….

_Iracebeth and Gabriel had summoned the finest Doctor in Underland to attend to Stayne. He quickly cleaned up the blood that flowed from the young guard's face, wincing slightly at the terrible damage. The doctor had tried to talk to Stayne, but the lad was too far gone with the pain. All he could do was moan incoherently. _

_Stayne had stumbled out of the cage, his hand clasped to his eye, screaming in shock and pain. He staggered a few feet, and then collapsed, sobbing. His eye felt like it had been split in half, and he did not dare to remove his hand. Luckily for him, a Guard had been coming to fetch him. When the Guard saw Stayne lying on the ground bleeding, he had immediately run for help. _

_Now the doctor spoke quietly to the King and Queen. "I was able to clean up most of the blood, but there is no way to fix his eye. The safest thing to do would be for me to remove it completely. Now, with time he'll recover. But he's going to be terribly scarred." _

_Iracebeth looked at the young man that lay bleeding in the bed. She hadn't told anyone, but she was rather fond of him. "Doctor, do whatever you have to. Stayne is a good soldier."_

_The King nodded in silent agreement. _

_Stayne slowly felt himself filtering back to consciousness. He had no idea how long he had been out for. The last clear thing he could remember was seeing the beak of that thrice cursed bird coming for his face, and a curtain of red being drawn across his vision. _

_He blinked, and then blinked again. Something was wrong. He couldn't figure out what, but he knew, nevertheless. 'Something is wrong'. He turned at the sound of footsteps, watching as the Court Physician came into the room. _

"_Greetings, Stayne. How are you feeling?" _

_Stayne shook his head, trying to clear his vision. "I—I don't know. There's something wrong with my eye, I think. I can't see out of it."_

_The Doctor looked away. "Well, I'm sure that with time your vision will adjust, and you'll be able to see just as well as you did." _

_Stayne felt his blood freeze. "As well as I did? What are you…" he suddenly gasped in horror as the full implication of the statement hit him. "No..."_

_The Doctor looked at him, sympathetic. "The damage to your eye was too great. I had to remove it." _

_Stayne gagged. "Remove…?" He placed his hand on his face, and slowly traveled upwards. His fingers trembled, but he forced himself to keep going, and screamed in horror as his fingers encountered an empty hole where his eye used to be. _

_He turned slowly around, and noticed a mirror hanging on the nearby wall. He stumbled out of bed and towards the mirror, moaning in horror at the awful sight that greeted him. _

_The creature that stared back was deeply wounded, with blood still visible around the hollow socket. Stayne groaned in terror and stumbled away from the mirror, his hands to his face. "No, no, no, no, no!"_

Alannah gazed in concern at Stayne, who had been staring at his reflection with great intensity. "Ilosivic?"

He looked up, smiling quietly. "I'm alright, love. Just remembering one of my more unpleasant days."

"Which one?"

Stayne sighed. "The day I lost my eye to that thrice cursed bird. I saw what I had become-this horrible scarred monstrosity-and I nearly went mad. I eventually got used to having one eye, but I never could stand to look at myself, because I knew what I would see. The same thing everyone else around me saw. A monster."

He pulled Alannah into his arms. "Then I met you, and for the first time in a long time I was being seen as a man by someone. The first night we were together, I watched you sleep, wondering how someone as beautiful as you could love a monster. I was so scared that you were a dream. But I decided something that night. If you, and all this is a dream, then I don't want to wake up. Ever."

Alannah kissed him. "This is real, my love. I promise you."

He looked back at the water, smiling at the reflections that greeted him.


	5. Chapter 5 How Do I Love Thee

Family Chapter Five

How Do I Love Thee

Alannah gaped in happy surprise at Mirana. "Majesty, are you sure about this? I mean…"

Mirana laughed. "Yes, Alannah. I am quite sure. You and your husband deserve to have a honeymoon. There are more than enough people here who would gladly watch Katarina. She's become quite popular, you know."

Alannah snickered. "Yes, and she knows it. For someone who isn't even a year old yet, she's rather bright. But Ilosivic and I have never really left her by herself for a large amount of time, and she may not take it too well-not to mention the fact I think my husband goes through withdrawal if he's apart from both of us for more than a day."

Mirana smiled. "The vacation would do both of you good, but I take your point." She grinned wickedly. "You and Ilosivic will just have to be….discreet."

Alannah snorted with laughter. "Yes, we don't want our eight month old daughter corrupted."

Mirana laughed. "No, you do not want that. But both you and Ilosivic have proven to be wonderful parents. Consider my offer a reward. Besides, I highly doubt he will object too much to spending an entire weekend with you."

Alannah grinned. "No, I doubt I'll get too much resistance. But what about…"

"He can forsake his duties as Captain for a little while. He has a very competent Lieutenant, after all. His men will manage nicely without him."

Alannah smiled. "I'll talk it over with him. Thank you again, Majesty."

She curtseyed, and left the throne room, heading towards their cottage. Stayne was sitting out front, watching as Katarina crawled along the ground. She looked up as she saw Alannah walking towards them, and swiftly crawled over to her. "Momma!"

Alannah picked her up, and kissed her. "Hello, my baby. Has Daddy been letting you get your pretty dress dirty?"

Katarina giggled, and Alannah glared at Stayne. "I see. Oh well, it all washes out."

She walked over to where Stayne was sitting, and sat next to him, leaning against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the head. "What did the Queen want to see you about?"

"She wants us to go on a proper honeymoon. We never really had the chance to have one, since I was already pregnant when we were married."

Stayne grinned. "Love, I don't think we've been lax in that department. In fact, we're quite…active."

Alannah giggled. "Very true. But still, I think it would be nice to have some time to ourselves. Now, I know you get the sweats if you're apart from Katarina for more than a day, so we could bring her along."

"That wouldn't be much of a honeymoon, love. I think perhaps I could manage to be apart from her for a day or so. Who could we ask to watch her?"

Alannah sighed. "I was going to ask Tarrant and Alice if they would be interested."

Stayne laughed. "You're probably going to have to twist their arms."

"Yes, it may take me all of a few seconds to convince them. Oh well, I may as well go ask them." She sighed and got to her feet.

Alannah woke up as the carriage came to a halt, looking around her. The region they were in was gorgeous, with trees and flowers in an amazing riot of colors. She gazed out the carriage window at the large cabin that stood in the middle of a clearing. She opened the carriage door and stepped out, beaming at the sight. Stayne followed, and gasped quietly. "This place is amazing, Alannah."

Alannah nodded, and walked to the cabin, gasping as she entered. The room was large, with a large couch near the wall. A large table adorned with flowers took up the center of the room. Alannah walked over to the kitchen, and laughed quietly. Spread out on the counter was tarts, scones, sandwiches, and even some pots of tea. Near this feast was a large wicker basket with a note attached.

'_Enjoy your honeymoon. I sent this ahead so you won't have to worry about cooking. There is also a package for Alannah in the bedroom. Use both in good health. Mirana' _

Stayne looked at Alannah, slightly confused. "What could Mirana have sent you?"

Alannah grinned wickedly. "I have a pretty good idea. Do me a favor, love. Go sit on the couch and close your eye until I tell you to open it."

Stayne complied, and Alannah giggled and dashed into the bedroom, immediately noticing the box that lay in the middle of the large bed. She quickly opened it, and giggled wickedly. 'Ilosivic is going to go crazy.' She pulled the shift out of the box, staring in wicked glee at it.

The shift was a deep blue in color, with material that was sheer and silky. Alannah held it up to herself, giggling as she realized that it just barely reached her thighs. She quickly stripped off her dress and pulled the shift on, smoothing it down against her breasts and chest. She giggled again when she realized the material was sheerest around her breasts.

"Are you finished in there, Alannah?" Stayne asked, concerned. Alannah grinned wickedly. "Yes! Are your eyes closed?"

Stayne nodded. "Yes."

He listened quietly, smiling as he heard her footsteps coming out of the room. He was dying with curiosity. "Can I open my eye yet?"

Alannah grinned, and then walked towards him, stopping just out of his reach. "You can open your eye now, love. But don't move from the couch."

Stayne opened his eye, and moaned at the sight that greeted him. He gulped, slowly letting his gaze sweep up and down Alannah's body. He groaned, reaching for her. She grinned as his hands came within inches of the shift, and she stepped back. "You are being a bloody tease, love."

Alannah gazed at him through lidded eyes, speaking in a seductive tone. "Am I? Does the fact that I'm so close, and yet so far away entice you?"

Stayne nodded. "That, and the fact you are wearing that rather delectable item. Now, quit being a tease and come over here so I can take it off."

Alannah walked towards him, swaying her hips, and he moaned. "Alannah, if you don't hurry up and get over here, I am going to rip that damn thing off you."

He felt his throat go dry as she came to a halt in front of him, and then slowly slid onto his lap. "Is this close enough for you, Ilosivic?"

Stayne groaned, and then yanked her forward, kissing her roughly. "Yes."

Alannah kissed him back with equal force, and slowly slid her hands down his arms, pinning them to the couch. "Now, let's see what I can do to make this last…"

Stayne moaned quietly as she kissed his throat, gently nipping on the skin. She slowly worked her way down, stopping when she reached his shirt. She looked at him, and grinned. Slowly, she slid her left arm up his. He began to lift his arm, but she swiftly pinned it. "No moving until I give you permission."

She placed her hand on his chest, slowly stroking him, and then slowly began to unbutton his shirt. She leaned forward and kissed his chest, slowly moving down as she continued to unbutton his shirt. He groaned incoherently. Alannah smirked, and then slowly pushed his shirt aside. "Now, what can I do next?"

She grinned, and then slowly licked his chest, sucking on the flesh. At the same time, she slowly moved so that her shift hiked up, revealing more of her thigh. Stayne groaned as he felt her flesh come in contact with his trousers. "Alannah…"

"Yes, Ilosivic?"

He groaned aloud as she moved her lips to his throat, pressing herself against him. "Was there something you wanted?"

Stayne couldn't stand it anymore. He wrapped his arms around her, and swiftly stood up. Alannah giggled and wrapped her legs around him. He swiftly walked to the bedroom, kicked the door shut, then turned and pinned Alannah against the wall, kissing her as deeply as he could. She groaned as he pressed himself against her.

Stayne moved his lips to her throat, eagerly sucking and biting. Alannah groaned with pleasure, and then cried out as she felt his hand slowly caressing her thigh. Stayne slowly moved up her thigh, his fingers stroking her smooth skin. He gazed into her eyes.

"You are so unbelievably beautiful, my love. I love you so much—and I intend to show you just how much."

Alannah giggled as he carried her over to the bed.


	6. Chapter 6 Good Fortune

Family Chapter Six

Good Fortune

_**Author's Note-This is going to be a very short chapter. Apologies, but I don't want to force anything. **_

Alannah laughed as she watched Katarina toddling around the cottage. She had just learned to walk recently, and was getting into a great deal of mischief. Alannah had lost count of the number of times she had run after her when she began toddling towards the garden pond.

Katarina quickly toddled towards her, and raised her arms. "Up, Momma! Up!"

Alannah laughed, and picked her up. "As you wish, little one. You are getting so good at walking. I think we need to surprise Daddy when he gets home. He's not seen how well you're doing."

"How well she's doing at what?" Stayne asked as he entered the cottage. He had just returned from a long patrol, and all he wanted now was to sit and relax. He gazed at his ladies, smiling. "What did you want to show me, love?"

Alannah walked over and kissed him, then gasped as he suddenly deepened the kiss. "Miss me, Ilosivic?"

"Terribly, Alannah. I hate being apart from both of you. Now, what did you want to show me?

Alannah smiled. "Go sit down, and I'll show you." Stayne complied, and Alannah placed Katarina on the floor. "Go see Daddy, sweetie."

Stayne grinned widely as Katarina slowly toddled over to him. She reached the couch, and held her arms out. "Up, Daddy!"

Stayne laughed in amazement, and picked her up. "That was wonderful, little one!"

Katrina grinned. "Baby up."

Alannah laughed. "Yes, and baby also gets into mischief. Ilosivic, please inform her that momma is going to give her what for if she goes near the pond again."

Stayne gazed seriously at Katarina. "You heard your momma. Stay away from the pond-unless one of us is with you."

Katarina giggled, and Stayne kissed her. "I'm glad we understand each other, little one."

Alannah laughed. "She understands quite a bit. Whether or not she actually comprehends is another matter altogether." She walked over to the couch, and sat down, leaning against Stayne. "I saw Thackery today. He sends his greetings."

Stayne looked concerned. "Thackery? How is he doing?"

"He seems to be doing fine. He's an excellent cook, and provided you are able to dodge cutlery quite fun to assist in the kitchens. But Mirana tells me that compared to only a few months ago; he's recovered quite a bit."

Stayne sighed sadly, and whispered, "He'll never recover, Alannah. I saw what the bloody big head did to him-and what I helped to do."

Alannah kissed him. "That isn't who you are anymore, my love. You know that."

Stayne nodded. "I know, but my deeds still haunt me sometimes, and as much as I wish I could, I can't fully escape my past." He smiled gently at her. "But I take immense comfort in what my future holds, since it has you in it."

She kissed him. "Same here, my love."

"Love Daddy." Katarina said, looking at him with owlish solemnity.

Stayne grinned, and kissed her. "Daddy loves you too, little one."

He pulled them both into his arms. 'I am so fortunate to have a family.'


	7. Chapter 7 A Bed Time Story

Family Chapter Seven

A Bed Time Story

"Momma, want story." Alannah looked over at her daughter. Katarina was sitting on her bed, gazing intently at her. She smiled, and walked over, sitting next to her. The two year old immediately climbed into her lap. "Tell me a story."

Alannah kissed her head. "What story do you want to hear, little one? The story about the Walrus and the Carpenter?" Katarina shook her head. "New story please, Momma."

Alannah looked thoughtful, and then began.

"_**Once upon a time, there was a handsome and brave knight. But the knight was very sad, because he had been cursed by an evil witch. The witch had cast a spell on him so that whenever he looked at his reflection in a mirror, he would see a hideous monster staring back at him. She also used her evil magic to assure that anyone who saw him would only see the monster. The knight was very upset, and went to ask the witch to lift the curse. But the witch refused. "You are doomed to be a monster for all time. However, if you agree to work for me, perhaps I would consider lifting the curse in the future." The knight was unaware of just how treacherous the witch was, so he agreed. He soon found out that the witch had lied to him, and instead of lifting the curse, she was planning to cast a spell that would make the knight fall in love with her. The knight was terrified at this thought, so he determined to run away. He waited for the right moment, and set out. What he didn't know was the witch had cursed him to be unable to leave. If he tried, he would suddenly find himself in excruciating pain. So he lived for many years with the witch, despairing of ever being set free. Then one night he had a dream. He was walking through a meadow, and he noticed that everything was still. There was no sound, no movement-but he felt happy. He looked around, and noticed someone coming towards him. The figure came closer, and the knight realized it was a beautiful woman. She smiled at him, and spoke in a soft, musical voice. "Do not lose hope. There is redemption for everyone, even for you-my brave knight." **_

"What's re…what's that mean, Momma?" Katarina interrupted. Alannah smiled. "It means he can become a nice person. Now, may I continue?"

"Yeth." Alannah grinned at the slight lisp, and then continued.

"_**Then one day, there was a great Battle, and the witch was defeated-but her spell was still in effect. The knight was forced into exile along with the witch, and he began to lose what little hope he had left. But he still remembered his dream. 'Perhaps someday it will come true.' But he was beginning to doubt; especially since anyone that saw him would only see the monster. Then the knight met a lady."**_

"_**The Lady looked like any other, but she had been blessed at her birth by a wise woman to be able to see a person for what they truly were. She had been the only one to notice that what everyone saw as a handsome and brave lord was actually a cruel and vicious ogre, and the ogre had attacked her in his anger. But the lady escaped, and hid in the woods, where she noticed the knight. She gasped at how handsome he was, and walked over to him. The knight was amazed, but then turned away in shame and anger. **_

"_**Why are you not running away? Can you not see that I am a monster?" **_

_**The Lady smiled at him. "I only see what you are inside, and you are not a monster. Why do you believe you are?"**_

_**The knight looked sad. "I am under a curse to be seen by a monster by everyone. I have tried to get the witch to lift it, but she has refused. She is the only one capable."**_

"_**I have some knowledge of magic. I might be able to lift your curse, but I will need to give you a potion. Will you come with me?" **_

_**The knight agreed, and the lady led him to her cottage. She handed him a bottle. "Drink this, and the curse will be gone." **_

_**The knight drank, and when he finished he looked at the lady. "I don't feel any different." **_

"_**The potion will take time. Be patient, and stay here with me." **_

_**The knight was wary of another trick, but agreed. "I will stay for three days. But if the potion does not do its job by then, I will leave."**_

_**The Lady smiled secretly. "Very well. Three days." What the knight didn't know was that the lady had a magical watch that could make time stop. So while the knight was sleeping, she went to her watch, and turned the dial. "Three days to last forever, three nights to last for all time, until the watch is turned back and time begins again."**_

_**So the knight stayed for a long time with the lady, unaware that time had stopped. He was happy, though since the lady treated him very kindly. **_

_**One day, the lady was captured by the wicked ogre who had attacked her so many years ago, and the knight went on a great journey across the land to find her. When he did, she was almost dead."**_

"No! Don't let the lady die, Momma!" Katarina wailed. Alannah kissed her. "Calm down, little one."

But Katarina kept sobbing, and Alannah sighed, gently rocking her. "It's alright, my baby. I promise, the lady is going to be fine."

Katarina sniffled. "OK."

Alannah kissed her, and then proceeded.

"_**The knight rescued the lady, but while they were trying to find their way out of the ogre's castle, he showed up and attacked the knight. The knight was scared, since he hadn't fought anyone in a very long time. But he raised his sword, and began to fight. The battle raged up and down the castle, and the knight was wounded. But then he thought of what would happen to the lady if he died. The ogre would hurt her even more. With that thought, the knight drove his sword into the ogre's heart." **_

Katarina cheered, and Alannah smiled quietly.

"_**The lady was so happy to be rescued, that she offered the knight his freedom. She showed him the watch, telling him what she had done. "If you want, you can turn back time to before we met. The only difference is that you will no longer be cursed. The choice is yours." **_

_**The knight took the watch, and thought. Then he smiled, and placed the watch on the ground. He raised his sword, and smashed the watch. **_

_**The lady smiled. "You have done just as I knew you would. Your curse is nearly gone." **_

_**The knight then did something he had wanted to do for a long time. He kissed the lady. Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation, and wondered what it was. The lady smiled happily, and then held a mirror up to his face. The knight was amazed. Where there had once been a monster was a noble and handsome knight. His curse had been lifted. **_

_**So the knight married the lady, and they lived happily ever after." **_

Alannah smiled at her daughter, who had fallen asleep. "Good night, my little one." She kissed her, and walked out of the bedroom. Stayne was sitting on the couch, polishing his sword. He looked up and smiled at her.

"So how are the Walrus and Carpenter doing tonight?"

Alannah walked over and sat next to him. He placed his sword to the side, and wrapped his arms around her. She settled against his chest. "I didn't tell her that story. Surprisingly, she wanted a new story. So I told her one-all about a brave knight cursed by an evil witch, and saved by a lovely lady." She looked up at him. "Does that sound familiar?"

Stayne laughed. "You know, I think it does. But you should have put in the bit about the lovely lady giving the knight a marvelous present-a family."

Alannah kissed him. "The story isn't over, though. It will go on forever. We have all the time in the world, my love."

Stayne deepened the kiss. "Time is meaningless; love-as long as we all are together."

Family. It can have so many different meanings to so many different people. But to Ilosivic and Alannah, it meant that every obstacle placed before them in their lives had been designed to lead them on a marvelous journey, and while neither knew if there would be any new obstacles, they both knew that they would be at each others side for all Time.

THE END.


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